1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for connecting front pillars and a cowl in a vehicle such as an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
The body of an automobile is provided with two front pillars which respectively stand at two lateral ends thereof and are connected to a cowl disposed so as to extend in the lateral direction of the vehicle body.
In a typical conventional structure for connecting front pillars and a cowl in an automobile, the front part of each front pillar in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and the rear part of the cowl in the same direction are connected together through a cowl side panel. In this connecting structure, the joint between the front pillar and the cowl side panel and the joint between the cowl and the cowl side panel are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the rigidity of each joint is relatively low, and the torsional rigidity as well as the flexural rigidity of the body are also relatively low, disadvantageously. In order to improve these rigidities, it is necessary, for example, to provide reinforcing means and increase the thickness of the panel. These means lead, however, to an increase in the overall weight and a rise in costs, which means that the efficiency is low; therefore, it is not preferable to adopt such means.
Japanese patent Laid-Open No. 53570/1983 proposes a connecting structure in which a cowl inner is connected directly to each front pillar. However, in this connecting structure also, improvements in the rigidity of the joint and the torsional rigidity as well as the flexural rigidity of the body are limited. There has been therefore a demand for a structure for connecting front pillars and a cowl which enables these rigidities to be further improved.
In addition, a front door is supported by a front pillar, which means that the front pillar is subjected to torsional force when the front door is opened and closed. For this reason, it is necessary to improve the torsional rigidity of the front pillar so as to prevent deformation of the cross-sectional configuration of the front pillar. Examples of such front pillar structure includes those proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 188375/1983, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 17251/1981 and Japanese patent Laid-Open No. 36769/1983.